This verse has divided the entire mankind into two groups: (1) successful; and  (2) unsuccessful.  

Allah Almighty has bestowed upon human beings the ability to distinguish between good and evil in the same way as He has given them eyes for seeing and ears for hearing. He is not merely an animal or intellectual existence but he is a moral existence as well. This means that the awareness of differentiating between right and wrong, and the sense of good and evil, have been instilled in the heart and mind of human beings from the very moment of their creation. “The culmination of human creation is that Allah Almighty has placed within them a divine light from which emerges the awareness of what is good and righteous for them and what is evil and wrong.” It may be said that “every soul is intrinsically aware of good and evil, right and wrong, its relation to God, and the covenant to which it attested”. These and similar verses define the Islamic view of man with perfect clarity.

Sayyid Qutb, the great Islamic scholar and activist beautifully summarises in a small paragraph all that will be discussed in this article. He states in his memorable tafseer “Fee Dhilalil Quran” “God has created man with a duality of nature and ability. What we mean by duality is that the two ingredients in his make-up, i.e. earth’s clay and God’ spirit, form within him two equal tendencies to good or evil, to either follow divine guidance or go astray. Man is just as capable of recognizing the good as he is of recognizing the evil in everything he encounters, and he is equally capable of directing himself one way or the other. This dual ability is deeply ingrained within him. All external factors, like divine messages, only serve to awaken his ability and help it take its chosen way. In other words, these factors do not create this innate ability; they only help it to develop”. Additionally man has a conscious faculty imbued in him which decides his line of action. Hence, he is responsible for his actions and decisions. So the Quran declares (91/9-10):

قَد أَفلَحَ مَن زَكّاها وَقَد خابَ مَن دَسّاها

“Successful is the one who keeps it pure, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.”

Freedom of choice comes with a prize: a degree of responsibly. Man despite his show of greatness is fundamentally week to shoulder this responsibility. God, the Compassionate comes to his rescue by sending him the Messengers of Allah intermittently who guide him to choose the right path and the way to navigate on it.

 The word ilham is derived from lahm which means to swallow. This word “ilham” connotes the idea of Allah’s inspiration of a concept or idea at the subconscious level of mind; this concept could be malicious and mischievous or pious and virtuous. Thus every man realizes that he has received from his Creator tendencies towards both good and evil. He is also recognizes that these two are not alike in their outcome.

فُجورَها   can be rendered as “immoral doings” and تَقواها as “God-consciousness”. These concepts are not new to man. Not only is he  aware of the good and evil but he has the capability to say one from another. The Quran alludes frequently to this dichotomy. For example the Quran directly refers to it (90/10):

وَهَدَيناهُ النَّجدَينِ

“and shown him the two highways (of good and evil)?

As referred to earlier, the two highways mentioned here relate to the steep and difficult path of virtue and the easy path of vice and evil. God Almighty has armed us with several tools to navigate between these two paths. In addition to the eyes, tongue and lips we have been endowed with the faculty of judgement to enable us to choose our way. As the right way is the difficult way, additionally Teachers and Guides with Revelation are sent down intermittently to help mankind navigate his way through.Thus “Man is not a creature of pure force or coercion. He has free will to choose his path of good or evil. He in fact, has the option to do good or refrain from sin. At times humans concoct stories and excuses to justify their wrongdoings. However at this moment also they are fully cognizant that they are on the wrong path. How is that? If they observe this same misconduct by someone else they will denounce it forthright. The choice is his, for which he is rewarded or punished” adds Mufti Mohammed  in his voluminous tafseer Ma’aarif-ul-Quran.

This issue has been expressed elsewhere in the Quran (90/1) from a slightly different angle. It reads:

وَلا أُقسِمُ بِالنَّفسِ اللَّوّامَةِ

“
But nay! I call to witness the accusing voice of man’s own conscience”           or

“
and I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit”

The obvious implication is that “In man there is the reproaching self (conscience) which reproaches him when he commits evil”

 Several scholars have hypothesized three states or stages of the development of the human soul:

 1) Nafsey Ammāra, which is prone to evil, and, if not checked and controlled, will lead to Loss of the soul ie eternal damnation.

2) Nafsey Lawwama, which is conscious of evil, resists it, asks for God’s grace and pardon and tries to amend; it hopes to reach salvation. Allaamaa Yousuf Ali comments in his voluminous tafseer “Our second stage may be compared to Conscience, except that in English usage Conscience is a faculty and not a stage in spiritual development”.

(3) Nafsey Mutma’innah, the highest stage of all, when it achieves full rest and satisfaction.

I would like to quote the mentor and research scholar Javed Ahmed Ghamdi from his authentic tafseer “Al-Bayaan “ as I am no match for his forceful style “If the eyes are open and the intellect is awake, it becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. Every movement of them bears witness that the Creator’s power is immense, His wisdom boundless, His lordship infinite, and no task is impossible for Him. These are contradictions, yet the harmony and obedience with which they carry out the command of their

Creator is astonishing. The words used here in the Quran, ‘ضُحٰھَا‘ (when it spreads), ‘اِذَا تَلٰھَا‘ (when it sets), ‘اِذَا جَلّٰھَا‘ (when it blazes up), and ‘اِذَایَغْشٰھَا‘ (when it covers) highlight this aspect.”

It is reported that a man asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of God! Do you consider the actions of mankind and their struggles to be something ordained (qaḍāʾ) for them and coming to pass from a previous measuring out (qadar), or something written for them only after the Message came to them from their Prophet, when there will be a clear proof against them?” To which he replied, “Rather, it is ordained for them.” So the man said, “Then what is the point of our actions?” The Prophet replied, “Whosoever God created for one of the two positions [Paradise or Hell], He makes it easy for him [to attain]. The proof of that is in the Book of God: By the soul and the One Who fashioned it and inspired it as to what makes it iniquitous or reverent”. It is also reported that when reciting this sūrah, the Prophet would stop at this verse and pray, “O God! Give my soul its reverence. Thou art its Protector and Master, and the best to purify it”

It is clear therefore  that God Almighty has blessed every creature with natural inspiration depending on its needs. Thus “the fish learns to swim, the bird to fly, the bee to make the beehive and the weaver-bird to build the nest instinctively”. Further, man has different capacities and therefore has been given several kinds of inspirational knowledge. A clear example of this aspect is that child starts sucking the mother’s milk soon on birth. No one could ever teach this to the newborn; this is an instinct given by God Almighty. As man is a rational being, he has been blessed with inspirational guidance continuously resulting in the great discoveries and inventions of human civilisation. Most of these are the result of a sudden idea striking in the mind of a person. A study of the history of  discoveries and inventions will reveal that there was hardly any direct role of man’s own effort or thought; mostly a person discovers or invents something             as a result of a sudden idea that strikes him. Lastly man is a moral being. He is therefore instantly aware of good and evil and and has the capacity to discriminate between the two. “This sense of discrimination

and realization is a universal truth on account of which no human society in the world has ever been without the concepts of good and evil; there has never been in history, nor is there now, a society which may not be having some kind of a system of rewarding the good and punishing the evil. This fact being prevalent in every age, at every place, and at every stage of civilization is a clear proof of its being natural and innate” explains Maulana Maudoodi in his widely popular tafseer “Ma’aarif-ul-Quran”. He also stresses that it is the All-Knowing and Wise Creator who has endowed man with it ie this  trait. No human origin of these morals is possible, given “the elements of which man is made up and the laws which govern the material system of the world”.            

Thus this short and succinct index ayah is divulging a vital secret of human nature. It discloses that man is capable of rising to great spiritual heights. On the other hand, he can plunge into dire immorality. Dr. Mohammed Asad alludes in his popular tafseer “The Message of the Quran” to a covert meaning also. He states “In its deepest sense, man’s ability to act wrongly is a concomitant to his ability to act rightly: in other words, it is this inherent polarity of tendencies which gives to every “right” choice a value and, thus, endows man with moral free will”.

The Quran declares that man knows his own self best and is aware of what we have been discussing even though he may offer many excuses:

(بَلِ الإِنسانُ عَلىٰ نَفسِهِ بَصيرَةٌ (75/14

“nay, but man shall against himself be an eye-witness” and

(وَلَو أَلقىٰ مَعاذيرَهُ (75/15

“Even though he were to put up his excuses”.

It appears, as if  a small court is established within the human being that continuously and persistently delivers judgments. A person may accept or reject the decision of this court but “he inevitably listens to it after every slip of thought and action” till his reproach gets overwhelming. This  testimony against the human being from his own inner self, is described in the Quran (75/2) as

 بِالنَّفسِ اللَّوّامَةِ

“ the self-blaming soul”.

During any discussion in religion, one point repeatedly props up. It’s stressed that we do not need the help of religion for good and noble living. There are many individuals and families who display decent and moral style of life but do not believe in any religion. Hence man does not need any religion, so runs the argument. There is a fundamental flaw in this line of thinking. The main reason and concern for Religion is life after death and its effect and influence on the purpose and style of  life here in this world. The prophets were not sent for moral training of humans. As the index ayah declares these values of good and evil have been ingrained in his system at birth irrespective of gender, color, time and region. He is at liberty to choose either. If he decides to choose “good” his reward is declared in the ayah following the index ayah:

قَد أَفلَحَ مَن زَكّاها

“To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity”

In other words he who has chosen good will be successful and thriving; profitable and productive.

The ayah that follows describes the fate, if he decides to choose evil in these words:

 وَقَد خابَ مَن دَسّاها

“and truly lost is he who buries it [in darkness]”

He will be wandering in darkness completely oblivious of his path or the destination.

In summary, we have just drafted “the Islamic concept of man” as stated by the eminent Islamic scholar Sayyid Qutb comprising four vital facts:

 1) Man has both freedom of choice and a sense of responsibility for his actions.This makes man the prestigious and esteemed creatures on this planet. This follows from the fact that God has blown something of HIS own spirit in him, has made him with His Own hands and has raised him above most of HIS creatures

 2) Mans fate is in his own hands and is responsible for it. This gives rise to both caution and a positive sense of fear in God. It can be said therefore that God’s will is fulfilled through man’s actions and decisions. “God does not change a people’s lot until they change what is in their hearts” declares the Quran (13: 11 middle part of the ayah): إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُغَيِّرُ ما بِقَومٍ حَتّىٰ يُغَيِّروا ما بِأَنفُسِهِم ۗ

This is a great responsibility demanding constant vigilance.

 3)Man should therefore constantly remind himself of the criteria fixed by his Creator to ensure that he remains on track. “Thus man stays near to God, follows His guidance and illuminates his way by divine light.”

 4) Every newborn arrives on this planet fully imbued with the aptitude and capability to discern and distinguish between good and evil. This faculty is programmed into his system by his Creator. As an adult he is free to choose and embrace either. Revelation and the Messengers of Allah do not address this issue.

Asad

[[[[[[[[[[[[Lit., “and [consider] that which has inspired it with its immoral doings (fujuraha) and its God-consciousness (taqwaha)” – i.e., the fact that man is equally liable to rise to great spiritual heights as to fall into utter immorality is an essential characteristic of human nature as such. In its deepest sense, man’s ability to act wrongly is a concomitant to his ability to act rightly: in other words, it is this inherent polarity of tendencies which gives to every “right” choice a value and, thus, endows man with moral free will (cf. in this connection note 16 on 7:24-25).::]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Maudoodi:

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ The word ilham is derived from lahm which means to swallow. According to this very basic meaning, the word ilham is used terminologically for Allah’s inspiring a man with a concept or idea unconsciously. Inspiring the human self with its wickedness and its piety and virtue has two meanings: (1) That the Creator has placed in it tendencies to both good and evil, and this is the thing that every man feels in himself. (2) That Allah has endowed every man’s unconscious mind with the concept that there is a moral good and there is a moral evil, that good morals and acts and evil morals and acts are not equal and alike. Fujur (immorality) is an evil thing and taqva (abstention from evils) a good thing. These concepts are not new to man; he is conscious of these by nature, and the Creator has endowed him with the ability to distinguish between good and evil naturally. This same thing has been said in Surah Al-Balad: And We showed him both the highways of good and evil. (verse 10); and in Surah Ad-Dahr, thus: We showed him the way, whether to be grateful or disbelieving (verse 3); and the same has been expressed in Surah Al-Qiyamah, saying: In man there is the reproaching self (conscience) which reproaches him when he commits evil (verse 2), and man knows his own self best, even though he may offer many excuses. (verses 14-15).]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[Here, one should also understand well that Allah has blessed every creature with natural inspiration according to its position and nature, as has been pointed out in Surah TaHa: Who has given a distinctive form to everything and then guided it aright. (verse 50). For example, every species of animals has been given inspirational knowledge according to its needs by virtue of which the fish learns to swim, the bird to fly, the bee to make the beehive and the weaver-bird to build the nest instinctively. Man also in view of his different capacities has been granted separate kinds of inspirational knowledge. His one capacity is that he is an animal being; as such the most significant instance of the inspirational knowledge that he has been given is that the human child starts sucking the mother’s milk soon on birth, which no one could teach it, had it, not been taught of it instinctively by God. Another position of man is that he is a rational being. As such God has been blessing him with inspirational guidance continuously since the time of his creation, by virtue of which he has been discovering things and making inventions to develop his civilization. Anyone who studies the history of these discoveries and inventions will realize that there was hardly any which might be the result of man’‘s own effort or thought, but mostly it so happened that suddenly an idea struck a person and he discovered or invented something. Besides these two, another position of man is that he is a moral being. In this position too Allah has blessed him by inspiration with discrimination between good and evil and of the realization of the good to be good and of the evil to be evil. This sense of discrimination and realization is a universal truth on account of which no human society in the world has ever been without the concepts of good and evil; there has never been in history, nor is there now, a society which may not be having some kind of a system of rewarding the good and punishing the evil. This fact being prevalent in every age, at every place, and at every stage of civilization is a clear proof of its being natural and innate. Furthermore, this is also proof that a Wise Creator possessed of knowledge has endued man’s nature with it, for in the elements of which man is made up and the laws which govern the material system of the world, no human origin of morals can be traced out]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[Tazkiyah means to purify, develop and cultivate. In the context it clearly means: The one who purifies his self of fujur and develops it to the level of taqva and cultivates in it the good, will attain to eternal success. As against this, the word dassaha has been used, the infinitive of which is tadsiyah, which means to suppress, conceal, seduce and lead astray. The meaning of this also becomes clear from the context; i.e. the one who suppresses the tendency in his self towards good instead of developing and cultivating it, who seduces it into doing evil, and makes fujur dominate over taqva so as to cover it up completely, like the dead body which is buried and covered with earth, will be a failure.

However, the Hadith which Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Nasai and Ibn Abi Shaibah have related on the authority of Zaid bin Arqam, is correct which says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray: O Allah, grant my self its taqva and purify it; You alone are the best to purify it; You alone are its Guardian and Master. In almost similar words, this supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been related by Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah and lbn al-Mundhir from Abdullah bin Abbas and Imam Ahmad from Aishah. It actually means that man can only desire and seek taqva and tazkiyah; as for its attainment, it depends in any case on Allah’s grace and favor alone. And the same is also true of tadsiyah: Allah does not suppress a self forcibly, but when a man is resolved on iniquity, Allah deprives him of the grace of taqva and tazkyah, and leaves him alone to suppress and bury his self under any heap of filth he likes.]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Mufti

[[[[[[[[[[[This verse has divided the entire mankind into two groups: [I]successful; and [2]nsuccessful. ]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[This sentence is linked with the seventh oath “and by the soul, and the One who made it well,” [91:711, signifying  that Allah has equipped man with human soul which has the capacity to distinguish between good and bad, and right and wrong.

Man is not a creature of pure force or coercion. He has free will to choose his path of good or evil. He, in fact, has the option to do good or refrain from sin. The choice is his, for which he is rewarded or punished.

(For the other two ayah)

(success is really attained by him who purifies it, and failure is really suffered by him who pollutes it….91:10). This is the subject of the seven oaths. The primitive meaning of tazkiyah is ‘inner cleanliness’, signifying ‘he who obeyed Allah and purified his inner and outer selves.”. The word dassa is derived from the basic word dass’ which denotes ‘to bury in the ground’]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Ghamdi

[[[[[[[[[[[[[“Allah Almighty has bestowed upon human beings the ability to distinguish between good and evil in the same way as He has given them eyes for seeing and ears for hearing. It is not merely an animal or intellectual existence; rather, it is a moral existence as well. This means that the awareness of differentiating between right and wrong, and the sense of good and evil, have been instilled in the heart and mind of human beings from the very moment of their creation.”]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[“There is no doubt that sometimes, in defense of their wrongdoing, humans may come up with excuses. However, when they make excuses, they also realize that they are going against their own nature, because if the same wrongdoing were committed by someone else in their presence, they would readily condemn it without any hesitation and strongly protest against it.”]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[“If the eyes are open and the intellect is awake, it becomes a school of knowledge and wisdom. Every movement of them bears witness that the Creator’s power is immense, His wisdom boundless, His lordship infinite, and no task is impossible for Him. These are contradictions, yet the harmony and obedience with which they carry out the command of their Creator is astonishing. The words in the verses, ‘ضُحٰھَا‘ (when it spreads), ‘اِذَا تَلٰھَا‘ (when it sets), ‘اِذَا جَلّٰھَا‘ (when it blazes up), and ‘اِذَایَغْشٰھَا‘ (when it covers) highlight this aspect.”]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[“It has been endowed with the consciousness of right and wrong. This consciousness manifests itself through the constant warning of the conscience. It is a small court established within the human being that delivers judgments at every moment. Whether a person accepts or rejects its decisions, he inevitably listens to it after every slip of thought and action, to the extent that his self-reproach may become so overwhelming that it completely blinds and deafens him to the point where his actions appear entirely involuntary.This is a testimony against the human being from his own inner self, as described in Surah Al-Qiyamah (Chapter 75) as the self-blaming soul. The Quran has drawn attention to all these aspects of the self and matter to argue that the world is not a random incident or a mere spectacle, and human beings are not left without responsibility, with their Creator having no knowledge of their deeds.Everyone will undoubtedly be held accountable, and the world is a purposeful and extremely productive factory. It will certainly manifest itself one day. Allah Almighty has appointed the Day of Judgment to bring this ultimate purpose to fruition. Therefore, the Day of Judgment is inevitable.”]]]]]]]]]]]]

Islahi

[[[[[[[[[[[[[“So He inspired it [with discernment] of its wickedness and its righteousness.” This verse provides a detailed explanation. The culmination of human creation is that Allah Almighty has placed within them a divine light from which emerges the awareness of what is good and righteous for them and what is evil and wrong.””After this, the oaths of the heavens and the earth are pointing towards the Creator of this universe’s power, wisdom, and lordship. The purpose is to make it clear that it is an essential requirement of these attributes that in this world, He will not leave anyone without responsibility but will bring a day of reckoning before everyone. This is a manifest demand of God’s power, wisdom, of the knowledge of good and evil in every human soul, even before various prophetic revelations. As other verses indicate (e.g., 75:14–15; 81:14; 82:4–5), every soul is intrinsically aware of good and evil, right and wrong, its relation to God, and the covenant to which it attested (see 7:172).]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Dagli, Caner K.; Dakake, Maria Massi; Lumbard, Joseph E.B.; Rustom, Mohammed. The Study Quran (p. 1519). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. and lordship.”

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[8 As translated, this verse indicates that God taught the soul the nature of evil and good and set the course for which it should follow. Thus some relate it to 90:8–10: Did We not . . . guide him upon the two highways? (Q, Sh). It could also be rendered, “He placed its iniquity and its reverence within it” (IK). In both translations it can be taken as a reference to God’s instillation of the knowledge of good and evil in every human soul, even before various prophetic revelations. As other verses indicate (e.g., 75:14–15; 81:14; 82:4–5), every soul is intrinsically aware of good and evil, right and wrong, its relation to God, and the covenant to which it attested (see 7:172).

These verses can also be read as an indication that God decrees all things for each human being, the reading preferred by most Ashʿarite theologians. Regarding this interpretation, it is reported that a man asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of God! Do you consider the actions of mankind and their struggles to be something ordained (qaḍāʾ) for them and coming to pass from a previous measuring out (qadar), or something written for them only after the Message came to them from their Prophet, when there will be a clear proof against them?” To which he replied, “Rather, it is ordained for them.” So the man said, “Then what is the point of our actions?” The Prophet replied, “Whosoever God created for one of the two positions [Paradise or Hell], He makes it easy for him [to attain]. The proof of that is in the Book of God: By the soul and the One Who fashioned it and inspired it as to what makes it iniquitous or reverent” (IK). It is also reported that when reciting this sūrah, the Prophet would stop at this verse and pray, “O God! Give my soul its reverence. Thou art its Protector and Master, and the best to purify it” (IK, Q).]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Qutb

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[This sūrah, which maintains the same rhyme in all its verses and keeps the same musical beat throughout, starts with several aesthetic touches which seem to spring out from the surrounding universe and its phenomena. These phenomena form the framework which encompasses the great truth which is the subject matter of the sūrah, namely, the nature of man, his inherent abilities, choice of action, and responsibility in determining his own fate.

This sūrah also refers to the story of the Thamūd and their negative attitude to the warnings they received from God’s messenger, to their killing of the she-camel, and finally their complete annihilation. This provides an example of the unpromising prospects which await those who corrupt their souls instead of keeping them pure and who do not confine themselves within the limits of piety. “Successful is the one who keeps it pure, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (Verses 9-10)  ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

A Look into the Human Soul

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[The sūrah moves on to state the basic truth about man, and relates this truth to the various phenomena of the universe, for man is one of the most remarkable wonders in this harmonious creation: “By the soul and its moulding and inspiration with knowledge of wickedness and righteousness. Successful is the one who keeps it pure, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (Verses 7-10)

 The basis of the Islamic concept of human psychology is outlined in these four verses, along with verse 10 of the preceding sūrah, The City, “And [We have] shown him the two paths,” and verse 3 in Sūrah 76, Man, which says: “We have shown him the right path, be he grateful or ungrateful.” They supplement the verses which point out the duality in man’s make-up in Sūrah 38, Şād, which says: “Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am creating man from clay. When I have fashioned him, and breathed of My spirit into him, kneel down and prostrate yourselves before him.’“ (38: 7172) These verses also supplement and relate to the verses which define man’s responsibility and accountability for his actions, such as the one in Sūrah 74, The Cloaked One, which reads: “Everyone is held in pledge for whatever he has wrought,” and the verse in Sūrah 13, Thunder, which states that God’s attitude to man is directly related to man’s own behaviour: “God does not change a people’s lot until they change what is in their hearts.” (13: 11) These and similar verses define the Islamic view of man with perfect clarity.]]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[God has created man with a duality of nature and ability. What we mean by duality is that the two ingredients in his make-up, i.e. earth’s clay and God’ spirit, form within him two equal tendencies to good or evil, to either follow divine guidance or go astray. Man is just as capable of recognizing the good as he is of recognizing the evil in everything he encounters, and he is equally capable of directing himself one way or the other. This dual ability is deeply ingrained within him. All external factors, like divine messages, only serve to awaken his ability and help it take its chosen way. In other words, these factors do not create this innate ability; they only help it to develop.In addition to his innate ability, man is equipped with a conscious faculty which determines his line of action. Hence, he is responsible for his actions and decisions. He who uses this faculty to strengthen his inclinations to what is good and to purify himself and to weaken his evil drive will be prosperous and successful. By contrast, a person who uses this faculty to suppress the good in him will ruin himself: “Successful is the one who keeps it pure, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (Verses 9- 10)]]]]]]]]]]]]]

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[There must be, then, an element of responsibility attached to man’s conscious faculty and freedom of choice. Since he is free to choose between his tendencies, his freedom must be coupled with responsibility. He is assigned a definite task related to the power given to him. But God, the Compassionate, does not leave man with no guidance other than his natural impulses or his conscious, decision-making faculty. God helps him by sending him messages which lay down accurate and permanent criteria, and points out to him the signs, within him and in the world at large, which should help him choose the right path and clear his way of any obstructions so that he can see the truth. Thus, he recognizes his way easily and clearly and his conscious decision-making faculty functions in full knowledge of the nature of the direction it chooses and the implications of that choice.]]]]]]]]]]] 

[[[[[[[[[[[[[This is what God has willed for man and whatever takes place within this framework is a direct fulfilment of His will.

From this very general outline of the Islamic concept of man emerge a number of vital and valuable facts: firstly, that this concept elevates man to the high position of being responsible for his actions and allows him freedom of choice, within the confines of God’s will that has granted him this freedom. Responsibility and freedom of choice, therefore, make man the honoured creature of this world, a position worthy of the creature in whom God has blown something of His own spirit and whom He ha made with His own hand and raised above most of His creation 

Secondly, it puts man’s fate in his own hands — according to God’s will as already explained — and makes him responsible for it. This stimulates caution in him as well as a positive sense of fear of God. For he knows then that God’s will is fulfilled through his own actions and decisions: “God does not change a people’s lot until they change what is in their hearts.” (13: 11) This is in itself a great responsibility which demands that one should always be alert. 

Thirdly, it reminds man of his permanent need to refer to the criteria fixed by God in order to ensure that his desires do not get the better of him. Thus man stays near to God, follows His guidance and illuminates his way by divine light. Indeed, the standard of purity man can achieve is limitless.]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tafseer Ibn Abbas:

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[The poor Adamite who does not recognize his own exaltedness and eminence! Of this dust-dwell- ing frame he finds his way only to a name, a body, a trace. He does not know what is the secret of And We honored the children of Adam [17:70], what is the wisdom of And He created you in stages [71:14], what is the explication of in the most beautiful stature [95:4], or what is the face-to-face vision in And He formed you, so He made your forms beautiful [40:64].

O chevalier! Of the human makeup and the Adamic individual, first think about the form! What artisanry the Lord of the worlds has shown with a drop of spilled water! What diverse paint- ings have been achieved through “Be!”, so it comes to be [2:117]! Mutually similar limbs, oppo- sites like unto each other-each one He has made in its own scale. He has adorned each limb with one sort of beauty, not more than its limit, not less than its measure. To each He gave an attribute, and in each He placed a strength: senses in the brain, splendor on the forehead, beauty in the nose, sorcery in the eye, sauciness on the lips, comeliness in the cheek, perfect loveliness in the hair. It is not apparent whether the artisanries in the natures are more beautiful, or if the governance in the form-giving is sweeter. He has created so many marvels and wonders from a drop of water! The intelligent man gazes on His artisanry, but the heedless man is asleep.

Once you have looked with the outward eye on the marks giving witness to His power, look also with the inward eye on the subtleties of His wisdom. Then you will see the proofs of love and the traces of solicitude. The mortal nature is the world of form, but the heart is the world of the attributes. The mortal nature is the heart’s shell, but the heart is the shell of the center point that is the secret core. It is such that the orbs and bodies of the cosmos are bewildered by the form of the Adamic nature, the Adamic nature is bewildered by the form of the heart, the heart is bewildered by the center point of the secret core, and the secret core stays on the borderline between annihila- tion and subsistence.]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Maulana Mohammed Ali

10a. Zakkå is from zakå, meaning it increased, and therefore primarily the word signifies he made it to increase or thrive, and dasså-hå means he hid it or concealed it, or buried it (LL). The secondary meaning of the former is he purified it, and that of the latter he corrupted it. The adoption of these two words really indicates that the faculties necessary for perfection are given to every man, but there are some who make them thrive by their development and others who corrupt them by allowing them to remain concealed, not displaying them to their advantage.]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

……..and Allah knows best.

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding–“fahm”–of our Deen, Aameen.

Dr. Khalid Mitha

September 30, 202